


Five Flights Dan and Casey Wish They'd Missed

by celli



Category: Sports Night
Genre: Airplanes, M/M, five things
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-12-30
Updated: 2007-12-30
Packaged: 2017-10-18 05:27:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,254
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/185523
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/celli/pseuds/celli
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Five times Dan and Casey cursed the invention of the aircraft.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Five Flights Dan and Casey Wish They'd Missed

**Author's Note:**

  * For [tommygirl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tommygirl/gifts).



> Thanks to [](http://www.livejournal.com/users/out_there/profile)[**out_there**](http://www.livejournal.com/users/out_there/) for encouragement, [](http://www.livejournal.com/users/slodwick/profile)[**slodwick**](http://www.livejournal.com/users/slodwick/) for one of the funnier lines of dialogue, and [](http://www.livejournal.com/users/barely_bean/profile)[**barely_bean**](http://www.livejournal.com/users/barely_bean/) for the bulllying and the beta.

I. Captain Awesome

 _New York LaGuardia to Atlanta: NCAA Men's Basketball Championship_

"Here comes the captain again," Dan said, poking Casey hard enough to startle him out of his doze.

"He's just going to tell us the plane's not fixed yet," Casey said.

Sure enough, "Ladies and gentlemen, I'm sorry to tell you that Flight 2377..."

"Told you," Casey said, putting his head back down.

"At least he's handling it well," Dan said, and Casey picked his head back up.

"You think he's hot!"

"What? No. What?"

"You can't take your eyes off him!"

Dan turned an incredulous look in Casey's direction. "One, he's the person talking about the status of our flight. Two, if I have a choice between the sane and competent view to the east and the crazy view to my immediate north, which _should_ I pick? And three--" He broke into a grin. "Three, you're kind of cute when you're jealous."

Casey gave him a horrified look. "I am neither jealous nor cute," he said, wincing at his own prim and proper tone.

"Well, then, you won't mind if I go talk to Captain Awesome over there and ask him how long--"

Casey's clamped his hand down on top of Dan's. "Okay, I'm a little jealous."

"And it's a little cute."

Casey rolled his eyes.

"This is the best flight delay ever," Dan said with some satisfaction.

"Dan."

"Yes, Casey?"

Casey pointed to a spot approximately halfway between them and Captain Awesome. "What's that?"

They jerked their feet onto their chairs simultaneously. The chairs squeaked in protest.

"That's a rat," Dan said.

"That's a huge rat," Casey clarified.

"That's a rat that could valet park our _car_."

"Maybe you should go flirt with Captain Awesome and see if you can get us on a different flight."

"Casey!"

"It's a giant valet-parking rat. You have my permission."

"My feet stay here, along with the rest of me."

Casey eyed the rat as it inched closer to them. "Next time, we fly out of Newark."

***

II. Closed for Cowboy Hats

 _Approaching Minneapolis/St. Paul: Kevin Garnett Interview_

"Danny. Danny! Did you hear that?"

"Was I snoring?"

"No, the captain just said Minneapolis is closed."

"Minneapolis is closed?"

"That's what he said."

"... do you think the people who live there know that?"

"Yes, Dan, I think the denizens of the Twin Cities have noticed the frozen precipitation falling on them."

"They're closed for snow? Isn't that like, I don't know, Houston being closed for cowboy hats?"

"I think technically they're closed for snow _removal._ "

"Oh."

"Exactly."

"Wake me up when they're done shoveling, then."

"Dan, you're on my--you're on my arm. Dan? Danny?"

***

III. The Talker

 _Los Angeles International: Rose Bowl_

There was a gentle tug on his headphones. Dan looked over at Casey and pulled one out. "What?"

Casey pointed up. "We're descending. Time to turn off electronics."

"Already?" Dan tried to convey _no, please, no_ with a look.

The look he got in return was entirely sympathetic. "Unfortunately."

Dan sighed and yanked the headphones out. "How long until we land, then?"

There was a booming voice behind them, "I'm never afraid of strangers. And you know why, Kristin?"

"Twenty-five minutes," Casey said, then added under his breath, "of pure hell."

"I hitchhike, I pick up hitchhikers, I walk the streets of any city I want. Kristin, I am made bold in the Lord Jesus, and I am unafraid."

By the time they were on their final approach, they had learned all about Mr. 21B's (superior) opinions on romance, automotive maintenance, and the difference between a canoe and a Canadian ("the canoe is likely to tip more").

"That doesn't even make any _sense,_ " Casey muttered.

Dan shook his head a little without lifting it from where it was pressed to Casey's shoulder.

"Kristin, there is no city in the world I am not at home in. There's no need to fear the unknown when you bring your faith and your trust in humanity with you."

In front of them, they heard someone say, very quietly, "Have you ever wanted to set someone on fire with your brain?"

"Well, I never did _before_ …"

Dan hiccupped with laughter against Casey's neck. Casey reached up and patted his head gently.

***

IV. Impromptu Incursion

 _Chicago Midway: National League Division Series_

"Stop checking your watch, Casey. We're landing."

"Finally. If we catch a cab right away, we should be able to get to the hotel just in time--"

There was a slight lurch, and then they were rising.

"Dan? We're not landing anymore."

"Yes, Casey, I noticed that."

Casey leaned over Dan to look out the window. The Chicago skyline was getting smaller behind them.

The pilot came on over the speakers. Apparently another plane had been in their flight path, and they would have to circle the airport and land again. He sounded almost casual about it.

Dan looked at Casey.

Casey looked at Dan.

Dan held up a finger. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't they pay people a substantial amount of money to make sure that only one plane occupies a space at a time?"

Casey caught Dan's hand and brought it down to the armrest. "You know what I think we should do?"

"Drink heavily once we're on the ground?"

"Enjoy our impromptu aerial tour of the Windy City, and think of clever ways to describe it during our intro tonight."

Dan looked down. "I believe we're impromptu-ly touring suburbia at the moment. Hey, I can see Brian Urlacher's house from here!"

The plane banked, and Casey leaned back in his seat. His hand was still wrapped around Dan's. "On the other hand, drinking heavily has a lot to recommend it."

***

V. The Flight of the Magi

 _Indianapolis International Airport: Allstate 400 at the Brickyard_

Casey had just dragged his carry-on off the plane and was looking for the signs to the hotel shuttles when his cell phone rang. He checked the front screen and flipped it open. "Hey, Danny."

"How come you're not at home?"

"What?"

"I mean, you're not at home, are you?"

Casey gave the phone a confused look and put it back to his ear. "How do you know I'm not at home? And, while I'm at it, why don't I hear any track noises in the background?"

"Well, why am _I_ hearing airport noises in the background?"

There was a long silence.

"You flew out to Indy to surprise me, didn't you?" Dan asked.

Casey sighed. "And you flew home early to surprise me?"

"Yes," Dan said in a small voice.

Casey would have thrown up his arms, but he would have brained himself with his luggage. "Be spontaneous, Casey. Do something shocking, Casey. Surprise me, Casey."

"You're never going to be spontaneous again, are you?"

"Nope. Groundhog saw his shadow; six more weeks of anal-retentive perfectionism."

Dan laughed. "I can live with that."

"Good."

"Do you want me to come back out there?"

"No, of course not." Casey turned around and headed for the nearest gate agent. "Stay put and order something for dinner that'll warm up well. I'll be on the next flight back to New York."

"I can handle that."

"And Danny?"

"Yes?"

"Don't go anywhere without me again?"

"Hell, I may never go anywhere _with_ you again. We might just stay here and order in Chinese for the rest of our lives."

"It's a deal," Casey said with the appropriate amount of sarcasm, but he was still smiling he approached the counter.


End file.
